here's MY experience with UF (to which i say FU)
frigging Universal Fidelity.
they call my number at least 15 times a day and when i answer, it's a voice recorded message saying blah blah "please call 281-647-4155"
so i do. and after 10 rings it puts me through to a voicemail... blah blah in english and then a minute of spanish and then a message saying "THIS MAILBOX IS FULL YOU CANNOT LEAVE A MESSAGE" (this has happened EVERY TIME that i've called that number back)
great. okay, so then i call the number that's on my caller ID is 281-647-6152.
RUDE is not the word for them. they are nasty. they chew gum in your ear. they put you on hold until you hang up - to call back again. they say they've sent letters - of which i've not received ANY and then they say they will not mail anything else.
this has happened repeatedly.
today, it happened with a woman named Tariah (pronounced Tara. but i pronounced it the way it was spelled and she got mad and hung up on me.) prior to her getting in a snit because I didn't pronounce her name right, i told her the whole "full mailbox" thing. and she said "whatever." and had attitude.
then i called back and she said she wasn't speaking to me. meanwhile i was prepared to pay whatever the heck 200.00 that i owed... but she just put me on hold.
so i called back. got some guy named Chris (a gum or food chewer.) who then says "we sent mail and we're not sending any more" --- well, how the heck am i supposed to send in a check if they won't send me a legit item in the mail? it's really quite shady. and the guy says "you got your mail. check with your postmaster general." and hangs up.
anyway... a few hours later, i get the voice recording calling me AGAIN... i call the number. of course it's mailbox is full. so i call the 281.647.4152 number.
i get some twit named Vania ("teehee it rhymes with Tania. Spell it like that") whatever. I tell her about the "full mailbox" thing and she said "i know nothing about that" and i said "maybe you can tell your supervisor" and she replied with "it really doesn't matter" --- ARE YOU SERIOUS!? anyway, i asked to speak to a supervisor. of course, no one was around... right.
so i said "i've received 15 calls from your company today even after speaking with 2 people this morning - i would like you to note this and to stop harassing me with the calls"
she replies, get this... "well, lady, you haven't made a payment" --- in the last 4 hours? no. because you jerks keep hanging up.
and then she says "and it's NOT harassment BECAUSE it's a voice recording and no live person is calling you directly"
and then she hung up.
how'dya like them apples, people?
Whatchoosayin'?? (8 yapped)
I googled Universal Fidelity today and you, Gigglechick, were 6th on the first page of hits! Well done!!
Posted by Christy | May 21, 2007 4:22 PM
Happy Mother's Day to Gigglemom!!!
[note from GC: she says thanks ---- and happy mom's day to you as well!!]
Posted by susan | May 13, 2007 12:37 PM
cj is right. another good thing to do is to report the collector to your state's attorney general's office.
Posted by susannah | May 11, 2007 6:48 PM
I have fired every collection agent I've ever had the displeasure of speaking with.
Here's how:
Go to www.bendover.com and look for his information on how to stop harrassment by collectors. There's a VERY effective letter you send the creeps. And, if you don't have their addy you can find it. Google or whatever, you will find it.
Bottom line is they have NO legal grounds for contacting you whatsoever as you don't actually owe them any money. You (possibly) owe the people who hired the collectors. If that's the case, go back to them and negotiate an equitable settlement.
Don't be intimidated, and don't listen to their spiel on the phone. Tell them not to call you, and invoke the Fair Debt Act. If you don't know what that is, you will after visiting Ben's website.
Good luck!
Posted by CJ | May 11, 2007 11:21 AM
GB is right. You have to attempt to ignore the psychological bullsh#t and figure out the quickest and most efficient way to pay over the phone. They are not paid to care, and will throw whatever collection issue you have over to the credit unions and screw up your credit (if they haven't already). I went through this with a stupid medical bill that I was trying to dispute. The hospital refused to dispute it with me, sent it to collections and then my credit got marred. All because I asked a question that nobody wanted to answer. Be careful with this one GC!
Posted by neilv | May 11, 2007 11:18 AM
I cannot think of anything more frustrating and annoying than what you described! I have gone through the same thing...just change the company name, insert mine as victim, etc.
It is inexcuseable how these "companies" do business. Yet try to get a state agency to assist you or even the BBB and you have a better chance of getting a hold of that golden egg-laying goose. When exactly did the practice of courtesy vanish from our society? Must have missed that memo. Give 'em he**, GC!
Posted by Hellofachick | May 11, 2007 4:35 AM
Yeah. Bummer.
If it's a collection agency, it's set up to use every available psychological technique (and devious human being technique) to achieve their ends - especially if they're an independent agency to which other companies outsource.
Rudeness is probably part of (at least) some of their employees' personalities, but it's also a "I've got the power and you have none" thing that agencies like that use to maintain the "you're nothing and we're god of your finances, you *****" position. It's psychological coercion that works in their favor.
I'm actually surprised you got a first name, as it's better for an agent to introduce themselves as Mrs. So and So or Mr. So and so while calling you by your first name, perhaps even a juvenile form of it (e.g. "Bobby" if one's name is Robert).
They're playing by a different standard - they're advised not to engage people in any personal kinda stuff at all, but to maintain the "one-up/authority" position and focus on "your payment is past due, I can take that payment for you now."
Sadly, too many people have studied psychology to put it to nefarious purposes. (Not me, I just use it to Hyp-mo-tize wimmin ;) You are getting sleepy...you will design really cool art stuff for me and ignore your paying gigs...and get me a beer whenever I want...).
Posted by gb | May 11, 2007 12:07 AM
1) use an airhorn in the mouthpiece of the phone to get their attention.
2) Tell them your check is in the mail. If they haven't gotten it, tell them they need to contact the postmaster.
3) Contact the state attorney general. File a complaint and if enough are on record they may do something about it.
4) Tell them knock-knock jokes. Or moron jokes. It'll be like having that tough audience practice.
Good luck!
Posted by Rob Z | May 10, 2007 9:08 PM